Is it your dream to be a sportsperson? Do you love the thrill you get while playing sport at school or with your friends? Well, being a professional sportsperson might just be your calling.
And it is a lucrative one at that, because even though the demands of the job are extreme, the rewards in terms of salaries, popularity, and endorsement deals are high, too. Not only that, but you get to do what you love, which always nullifies the hardships of a job. You also, of course, get to keep fit while you earn money, which certainly shouldn’t be sniffed at!
If you’re are looking to be a professional player, or want your kid to use their skills to become a professional athlete, then today we’re exploring some of the best-paying sports in the world.
Hockey
Hockey is one of the most popular sports in the world. It requires sportspeople who are in great shape and blessed with incredible skills. A physically taxing game that’s also combative, if you want to be a hockey player, you need great stamina.
The journey towards becoming a great hockey player requires perfecting puck handling, shooting skills, and skating in a gruelling drill session.
Wondering how much a hockey player makes? It depends from place to place, but here’s a rough overview:
- In Canada and USA, players can get around $1.54 to $3.32 million a year. Salaries could start at just $100 a week for rookie players to a hundred thousand dollars for professionals.
- In Australia, AFL gives its players around $25,000 per eight-week season, and full-time professional hockey players get around $40,000 for a longer one.
Cricket
Cricket is a sport that millions of people love to watch and play. In countries where cricket is an established sport, like Australia, England, or India, people worship the sport, and those who play it professionally can earn millions.
Though cricket might be a lucrative sport, it’s a demanding one, too. Players often play for the better part of the year, travelling to distinct, distant locations, which can be taxing on family life back home.
Considering the money involved, cricket players earn handsomely per year from playing the sport. Also, they get incredible endorsement deals, which increases their net worth significantly.
- The ECB (England and Wales cricket board) pays their players around £1 million pounds every year, for both one-day and test. This amount doesn’t include appearance charges or more.
- The Indian cricket board pays their player a whopping amount of rupees 15 lakh for a test, 6 lakh for ODI, and 3 lakh for T20.
- According to the current statement by the Australian Cricket Board, players in the test squad will earn a match fee of $20,000, whilst those in the ODI and T201 squad will get $15,000 and $10,000 respectively. This amount isn’t inclusive of endorsement or IPL deals, or other charges.
Football / Soccer
Sure, football may be ubiquitous in the UK, but soccer in the United States is fast becoming just as popular, due to its sometimes high octane pace, tactical intrigue and superstar players. If you’re looking to break through into the big time, the MLS (or Major League Soccer) might be the perfect launchpad.
- The MLS players earn around $290,000 to $758,000 (a statistic from 2019).
Baseball
Another of the world’s most popular sports is baseball. If you love throwing the ball and have some exceptional skills, a lucrative career may await.
- In America, MLB players get an annual salary of $4.4 million as of 2020.
- The minor league players’ salary is quite different.
- In Australia, the player gets around $68,968 per year, while the range can vary between $ 50,002 to $82,624.
The Bottom Line
Of course, the chances of breaking into the big leagues in any sport are slim. Being a successful sportsperson takes incredible dedication, determination, and a fair amount of luck, too! We wish you the best of it.